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Hecate and Melinoë were enjoying the hot spring together, alone. A screen, created by the young witch, stood around the spring, hiding them from the eyes of the Crossroads' inhabitants. Thanks to this, the woman could calmly remove her gauntlet and mask and begin to fully enjoy the hot, salted water.
The girl awkwardly looked at her hands, unsure what to do. This was their first meeting in a long time. The two of them had had so much work after the war that they hadn't even had time to talk. Hecate was dealing with the Crossroads, restoring certain places in Tartarus, and there was also a great deal of work on the surface.
Melinoë had other concerns. She was spending more and more time with her family, slowly but surely growing closer to them. She helped her mother in the garden, planting new flora, some of which she brought herself. She walked with her brother on the surface. Unfortunately, that was with Chronos — because of certain actions, they now required supervision above ground, but that was alright. And talking with her grandfather about various topics turned out to be surprisingly… pleasant? Probably, the Melinoë of the past would have been shocked to learn this, but discussing the cosmos with the Titan was very useful and interesting. Even if his sarcasm and tendency to veer into historical tangents were a little tiring at times.
But that wasn't the point. The main thing was that mentor and student had finally been able to meet just to spend time together, but the young witch simply didn't know what to do. Hot springs were all well and good, especially since the ones at the Crossroads were the best, but she could relax anytime, and so could her mentor.
Suggest that Titaness descend into Tartarus, to her father's house? No, definitely not. Chronos lived there, and convincing him to disappear somewhere would be unlikely. It would also arouse suspicion. Suggest they go train after bathing? No again. Her mentor and many others had said that Melinoë needed to finally rest and let her body relax, otherwise she could suffer serious injuries. Perhaps talk about something? For example…
"Mentor…"
Hades's daughter called out quietly. The Goddess of the Crossroads slowly opened her eyes and looked at her.
"Yes, Melinoë?"
She replied, her voice slightly hoarse from silence. Melinoë grew a little embarrassed.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course. I am ready to answer any of your questions."
Said Hecate, straightening up slightly in the water. Surprisingly, when she removes her mask and gauntlet, the woman really enjoys submerging herself deeper in the hot spring. Sometimes, the Goddess of the Crossroads might even doze off slightly. Perhaps she simply likes the feeling of the water on her scarred skin.
Or maybe she simply derives pleasure from the healing mixture Melinoë sometimes added to the water, secretly from everyone, even her mentor. After all, the latter had strictly forbidden her from taking care of her after revealing her secret, but unfortunately, the girl couldn't help it. She just couldn't help Titaness with ordinary nectars and ambrosias — after all, she deserved better.
Hades's daughter thought about the question for a moment.
"Could you perhaps tell me a little about your past?"
"What?"
Said Hecate in surprise, and the young witch looked embarrassedly at her own hands.
"I just thought that I know so little about you from before your injury. Many have told me about you and your deeds, but what exactly you did during the time of the Titans and before that — I, and probably many others, do not know."
She raised her head again, looking guiltily at her mentor, who had become lost in thought.
"I understand if you don't want to reveal it. I just want to know something, anything, more about you."
"Learn about me, you say…"
Muttered the Goddess of the Crossroads, recalling her past. Melinoë looked at her intently, awaiting an answer to her question. She had heard, of course, that Titaness had been a rather secretive person in the past, and that she had been unsociable, but that was after her injury. What was she like before that? How did she meet Selene and Nyx? Did she make any discoveries in the world? The girl had so many questions.
The wait for an answer stretched on for a long time. Hecate remained silent, staring off to the side. The young witch was already nervously fidgeting with her fingers. Before, it had been difficult to read her mentor's emotions because of the mask, but now… First, confusion appeared on her face, then she frowned, and then her eyes widened, and she slowly covered her mouth with her good hand.
The Goddess of the Crossroads had never really thought about her actions in her youth before. She had simply considered it one of her stages of growing up and thus hadn't paid it much attention. Besides, all the moments before her injury seemed to have been erased from her memory. But the more she recalled her past actions, the wider her eyes grew. Each memory was worse than the last, and the third was worse than the first two combined.
Titaness slowly opened her mouth, about to say something, perhaps to change the subject, until she looked directly into her student's eyes. The girl was watching her attentively, with adoration, awaiting some kind of answer to her question. Hecate thought again, then sighed heavily and began slowly and carefully.
"Melinoë, do you remember when we talked in the garden, I said that at your age I was too self-confident…"
"Of course. I remember everything you said then perfectly."
Melinoë nodded quickly, continuing to look at her interlocutor. The woman sighed through her teeth, covering her eyes with her hand.
"Well, I… I may have misspoken. I wasn't just self-confident; I was an arrogant individual who thought only of herself, spitting on all the laws of the world."
"What?"
The girl muttered uncomprehendingly. The Goddess of the Crossroads slowly nodded.
"Yes. In a sense, in my youth, I was similar to one of your uncles. Unfortunately, to Zeus."
"What?!"
The young witch's eyes widened, and Hecate removed her hand from her face.
"Unfortunately, he was exactly who I resembled back then. I took whatever I wanted and did whatever I desired. Melinoë, that was a period I am certainly not proud of."
She sighed, waved her hand, and grimaced.
"You know, after my mother decided to get rid of me, Lady Gaia began raising me. In a sense. It's hard to call it upbringing; it was more like protection. I simply could not leave the Crossroads. If I tried to leave the forest, the path would become more and more tangled, and I would eventually return to the place I started from. It was both my home and my prison."
"I thought you created the Crossroads yourself."
The girl whispered, and Titaness shook her head.
"No, it was a gift from Lady Gaia to me. That is why we are obliged to preserve it intact and with minimal changes. The gifts of the Earth must always be treated with great respect and gratitude."
"Understood, Mentor."
Melinoë nodded quickly. The woman fell silent for a while, then looked away.
"At some point, during one of my escape attempts, I realized I had done it. Gaia's power receded, and I was able to go out to meet other gods and beings. To begin exploring the entire world. And I…"
Here she groaned in despair, covering her face with her hand.
"Melinoë, I swear, I will never be proud of what happened after my liberation. Perhaps the lack of knowledge of the rules of conduct influenced it. Maybe the time of Time's rule affected me so strongly. After all, despite everything, during his reign, the world was simply a fairy tale."
Hecate clicked her tongue, striking the water with her injured hand, causing the girl to flinch.
"I decided that since I had suffered as a child, this was my reward. That after so many years, I could do anything I pleased. That if there were any rules, they certainly didn't apply to me as a Titan. Just childish foolishness, no less! The more I remember, the more I am amazed that I somehow managed to survive without creating too many problems for myself!"
She removed her hands from her face again and looked tiredly at her student, who was listening attentively.
"Melinoë, I committed far too many terrible acts. These sins are on me and will remain with me forever. I used my power, cursed, threatened, and blackmailed anyone if I wanted to. In a sense, I attended every single feast there was and partied until I lost my memory. Perhaps, at some point, an entire city suffered because of me. I was like an animal…"
"Mentor…"
Melinoë muttered, looking at her interlocutor. The latter raised her hands above the water, looking at them.
"Perhaps the Fates enjoyed the spectacle I put on, which is why your grandfather did not find me and get rid of me as a problem. Maybe the Earth herself still protected me from her son. But that's not the main point. The main point is that for all my transgressions, I received no punishment."
After this, Titaness raised her injured hand, covered in golden-black scars and twitching.
"Melinoë, this injury… No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much I suffer from it, it became a lesson for me. I thought I was stronger than all the rules, that I could do anything, and I paid the price. That was when I realized I am not omnipotent and that there are beings far stronger than me."
She lowered her hand back into the hot water.
"I decided to hide. I lost many abilities due to this injury, grew weaker, and suffered from pain. Finally, I understood what others had felt. How they suffered from my actions and how I had used them. That this incident was not an exception to the rule and could happen again at any moment if I continued to behave like that. Then I swore to myself to get myself together and clear the wind from my head."
"Mentor, you…"
The young witch carefully swam closer to Titaness, placing her hand on her shoulder. Hecate smiled tiredly and placed her wounded hand over her student's palm.
"Got what I deserved. I was brought down from the heavens to earth, shown that life is not a fun place where you can do whatever you want and get away with it. Yes, this lesson was terrible, but at least I learned it forever."
"And how did you meet Selene and Nyx?"
Hades's daughter asked carefully after a few minutes of silence. The woman paused, then looked up.
"How did I meet her? Forgive me, Melinoë, but even I don't remember that moment well. I think it happened after one of the feasts. Back then, I couldn't deny myself ambrosia, so my head was foggy. We met on the ground when she decided to get a better look at what was happening. As it happened, we started talking about our families, mortals, and nature, after which she apparently decided we were friends."
Titaness chuckled, closing her eyes.
"She was always with me. She was the one who tried to pull me out of that madness I had brought upon myself. When she learned about my problems with controlling my power, she even introduced me to her foster mother, Nyx, so that she could give me advice. Honestly, I don't even know how she managed to tolerate me, given my behavior back then."
After this, Hecate opened her eyes and carefully took her student's ghostly hand. The latter flinched and squeezed that hand slightly.
"Melinoë, knowing my past, I think you understand why I told you to always be careful and not to rely solely on your own strength. Not because you have human blood, and not because you are not a Titan, no. Because no one in our world is omnipotent. You see that in my example, and in the example of Time."
"I understand, Mentor. I swear, I will never do anything without considering the pros and cons, as well as the possible consequences."
Melinoë replied, placing her hand on her heart and looking directly into her mentor's eyes. The latter sighed heavily and, with a smile, looked off into the distance, recalling Hades's daughter's recent actions with her brother or others she knew.
"For some reason, I have a feeling it will still happen."
"Mentor…"
The girl muttered, slightly offended and even indignant. Titaness laughed softly, placing her hand on her head.
"But I hope it's just my silly theories and nothing more. Let's better continue our rest. After our meeting, I need to urgently go to Mount Olympus to patch up some damage from Typhon. It will take a lot of time, so let's just enjoy this moment."
"Alright."
The young witch nodded and, after hesitating a little, rested her head on the Goddess of the Crossroads' shoulder. The latter simply put her arm around her shoulders and placed her own head on top of her student's, enjoying the sound of the water and the rustling leaves.